The Nigerian government has announced that it is planning to send the first citizen to space.
The Director General of Nigeria’s National Space Research
and Development Agency, Mathew Adepoju, disclosed this at a press conference in
Abuja on Wednesday, Punch Newspaper reports.
Mr Adepoju said the feat is based on a partnership between
his agency and the Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA).
“This collaboration, which is coming to the country, marks a
significant milestone in Nigeria’s 25th anniversary of Space Exploration
journey and opens new opportunities for scientific research and technological
advancement.”
At the event, Nigeria’s Minister of Innovation, Science, and
Technology, Uche Nnaji, said the partnership will accelerate the nation’s
technological advancements and also inspire a new generation of scientists and
engineers, Channels Television reports
Nigeria has been actively pursuing space exploration since
1999, when it established NASRDA, and has launched five satellites since 2003,
with three still in orbit delivering vital services.
The most recent – NigeriaSat-X – was the first to be
designed and constructed by NASRDA engineers, and more advanced models are in
development.
The space agency has made extensive and creative use of the
satellites, from analysing climate data to improve farming practices to
retrieving hostages from Boko Haram. Officials argue this proves space
exploration is essential for Nigeria.
Although the date for the space venture was not stated, in
2016, former Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, announced that
the country would send an astronaut into space by 2030.
Experts said launching an astronaut into orbit represents a
greater challenge than Nigeria’s previous missions, but leading figures from
the space industry are optimistic.
The Nigerian space programme has ambitions beyond its
borders, and it is hoped that bold statements – such as a manned mission – will
inspire stargasers across the continent.
“This would be a landmark achievement for Nigeria and
Africa, which will encourage the rest of Africa to get involved,” CNN quoted
Felix Ale, a NASRDA spokesperson to have said.
Nigeria already shares resources from its space assets, such
as providing satellite imagery to Mali, and has supported the idea of an
African Space Agency.
With an ever-increasing number of African states investing
in space programmes, while traditional powerhouses downsize, the continent
could be the hotspot of exploration for years to come, according to a CNN
projection.